American Ouendan
by Charlett
Summary: The life of Anna Lindhurst on the road to becoming a cheerer in America, and then in Japan. The road is not paved in gold, and that's why friends are always there to help along the way.
1. Chapter 1

Alright you guys! I was reading up on Anna's bio in the Japanese Osu Tatakae Ouendan 2 official site, and I thought, "Wow, 3rd in America at Cheering. But why is she so awesome in America... and suddenly in Japan?" So I started writing.

Keep in mind that I homeschooled through all of Middle and High School. I have NO IDEA how actual high schools run. My friend says that it's good enough but I still don't know... anyway...

Also, keep in mind that while the story is written in English, there are plenty of Japanese exchanges. These will be translated for your sake... but it may be a little hard for you to tell which is "English" and which is "Japanese". A good word of thumb is "if the character is using Japanese Honorific Titles... then it's probably in Japanese". Common sense helps as well.

So anyway, without further ado, read the first half of this incredible journey of a young American cheerleader and her love of cheerleading!

READ ON!

---

Anna Lindhurst was American. Her family was all born in America, and so she was as well. However, she was also Japanese. She lived in Japan and she loved that land more than any other. It was small wonder that she became an Ouendan just like her friend.

It all started when she was three years old…

---

Anna really wasn't sure what had happened. One moment, she was playing "Call" with her phone toy, and her father was driving safely down the street. The next moment, a blaring sound, the screeching of tires… and Anna was upside down in her small seat.

She sobbed loudly, screaming and flailing. Where was Mommy? Where was Daddy? It seemed like forever until someone unfamiliar slammed the butt of a red axe into the broken window, shattering it. He reached out and unbuckled the child from her safety seat, and pulled her from the car. She refused to stop crying, and the man looked up and called to the other firefighters that there was a survivor.

Anna's parents died in the car crash that day.

---

Anna stared at the kind man that smiled down at him, "Hello, Anna. My name is Richard. I'm your uncle."

It turned out Richard Lindhurst was Anna's father's brother. He was also her godfather. He knelt down and took her hands, "I heard about your mommy and daddy. I'm here to take care of you."

"Daddy was handsomer than you…" Anna said in all blunt honesty, sniffling loudly and wiping her eyes.

Richard smiled, "He was, wasn't he?" he asked, reaching out to hug his niece. Anna sucked in a deep breath, and screamed in anguish.

---

Anna didn't speak much to Richard, and refused to call him anything short of Uncle. She didn't even ask why they were on a plane. Richard knew she wanted to know, though, "We're going somewhere new."

"Why?" Anna asked, staring out the window.

"Because I work somewhere far away. I have to stay there, away from America." Richard turned to his niece, "Do you mind?"

"No." Anna said halfheartedly. Richard shook his head. He really wished he could tell whether she was telling the truth or not, "There's nothing left for me there…" She suddenly said, pressing her face against the window and looking at the ground below her, "Mommy… Daddy…"

Richard wondered if she was always going to act this grown up.

---

Anna didn't understand what anyone said. They were speaking very fast in a secret code she never thought she'd ever learn, "Anna, do you know where this place is?" Richard asked, taking her hand. Anna looked at her uncle and shook her head, "This is Japan. This is where I live. This is where I work."

Anna soon learned from her uncle that he was a businessman. He was an excellent translator, and a master transactional worker. He had a home in Japan simply because he never had to leave America. He would work as a translator for a Japanese company, and help business transactions take place. Anna asked if she was going to learn the language too. Richard smiled in response, "If you don't mind."

The young girl looked at the various people, who spoke quickly in a secret code. She shook her head, "No, I don't mind," she said. This time, she meant it.

---

Many years passed. Anna grew up in grace and dignity. She was American, but she acted like a Japanese girl. Her uncle's maid, Moriko, lived with her in a house on the outskirts of Tokyo, six hours from downtown. For this reason, Richard would leave for work on the weekdays, and would not return until the weekend. The moment he returned, however, his whole world was Anna. He played with her and hugged her and read bedtime stories and helped her practice her letters.

As the years passed, Anna forgot much of her parents, remembering only snippets of her life before the accident. However, she knew that if her parents were still alive, they'd treat her just as wonderfully as Moriko and Richard did now.

Anna looked up worriedly to her uncle on the day of her first day of school. Richard kissed his niece on the head, "You will do fine, Anna. Moriko will be here for her you. I'll return on the weekend. You'll be a good girl until then, right?" The girl gulped, but nodded.

"Y…yes, Papa…" she murmured, making sure to remember that going to school entailed that she only speak in Japanese. Richard smiled.

"You don't have to call me 'Papa', you know."

"You're like my Papa to me…" Anna said, reaching up to kiss her uncle, "I want to call you Papa."

Richard smiled and hugged his niece, "Alright then, Anna. Thank you."

---

Anna excelled at schoolings. She spoke as if she had known Japanese her whole life (indeed, she could switch between English and Japanese interchangeably as easily as breathing), and she was loved by all of her peers. The strangest person in the school was the one that attracted the most attention. Ippongi Ryuuta, a young boy in her class, was loud and obnoxious. He yelled at everything he saw, even the bugs on the ground.

"Go!" He would shout at the bug, "Go to that rock! You can do it!" He shouted at the children in his class, especially when they wanted to step on the bugs he shouted at. He even shouted at the sakura that floated to the ground during the Hanami season, "Fall faster!" He roared, "You can do it! Fall!"

Ippongi Ryuuta's shouting was loud and obnoxious, but it was catchy. Anna soon became his best friend, and they took turns yelling at things, "Go bug! Run faster!" "You can do your homework! Work hard!" "Fall faster, you blasted sakura you!" and they even yelled at each other, "You're so awesome, Anna-chan!"

"No, you're better, Ryuuta-kun!"

"You're lying! You're better!"

And when all was said and done, the two would flop on the steps of the school and watch the clouds pass. Their cheering completed, they took deep breaths and simply talked.

"You're always so energetic, Ryuuta-kun," Anna said one day on the steps, when the two were nine, "Why are you always shouting so much?"

"You don't like it?" Ryuuta asked, always the one to make sure that he never annoyed his friend in any way.

"Well… I just never knew why…"

"My brother's an Ouendan," Ryuuta said in response, pointing at a cloud that resembled a duck.

"An Ouendan…?" Anna took a moment to recall what that was, "Oh! Like in school, cheerers?"

"Yeah," Ryuuta smiled, "My brother's the leader of his squad. Everyone likes him. I want to be more like my brother." He turned to Anna, "I'm going to be an Ouendan when I get older!"

Anna blinked at Ryuuta, and laughed, "Alright!" She proclaimed, "I'm going to be an Ouendan too! That way we can work together!"

Ryuuta got a little too excited, and started shouting again, "That'll be great! You'll be the best Ouendan ever!"

"No, YOU will!"

"Liar! You will!"

---

However, that dream was not to come true. As Anna grew older, and she and Ryuuta grew closer, life threw her another curve ball that changed her life. Life wasn't a rose garden, and Anna learned that the hard way.

Anna stared at her uncle, "Wh… what did you say…?" She said at the age of fourteen. She had noticed her uncle was graying, but what he said struck her like a bolt from the blue.

"You've met my sons, your cousins, right Anna?" Richard said. Anna continued to stare, "They already have sons and daughters of their own. Anna, I'm not getting any older. I'm going to retire." He looked at his niece, "I want to return to America and see my grandchildren."

"But… but…" Anna said, covering her mouth, "What about…?"

"Anna, before I decide to go home… I want to ask you one thing." Richard reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, "Tell me, and tell me honestly, do you mind?"

The young woman didn't speak. Her wide eyes stared into her uncle's eyes, "I… I…" Tears were beginning to form in her eyes, and she murmured, "I can't say… not yet…"

Richard nodded, "I understand. Take your time, Anna. I won't ever pressure you."

Anna waited as he straightened up, turned around, and left his niece's room. Anna shivered lightly, took her quilt, and sobbed into it.

---

"Going back to America?" Ryuuta asked, stuffing more octopus into his mouth. Anna didn't feel like eating her bentou, even though Moriko spent so much time on making it perfect. Ryuuta finished off his lunch and juice, and Anna passed the rest of her bentou off to him. He thanked her and dug in, "So he's asking you if you want to go back?" Anna nodded again, still amazed at her friend's amazing ability to talk with a mouth full of food. He took another swig of Anna's juice and looked at her, "Why don't you want to go back, Anna-san?"

Anna looked up at the traitor before her, "Why do you think, Ryuuta-kun?" She almost hissed, "What about you? And me? We won't…"

"I've always wanted a pen-pal," Ryuuta suddenly said, "Have you ever had one, Anna-san?"

"Well, no…"

"We can be pen-pals. What's the difference between being friends close or far?"

"It's easy for you to say, you don't have to move ten thousand miles away…" Anna murmured, sniffling, "What is there for me in America?"

"Is it true?" Anna looked up at her friend as he interrupted her, "that America's 'the Land of Opportunity'? Maybe you can get something there. You have the opportunity."

"You're not helping!" Anna said suddenly, standing up, "Ryuuta-kun, I should have known you weren't going to be any help."

"You can do it!" Anna took a step back at his sudden shouting, "Anna, you can go to America and be the best Ouendan over there!"

The teenager was taken aback. She suddenly giggled, and then laughed, "Ryuuta-kun, they're called 'Cheerleaders' in America."

"Chia Riidaazu?" Ryuuta butchered the English Language. Anna practically winced.

"Yeah," She said, suddenly smiling. Her friend always made her smile, "I suppose… I could always be a cheerleader…" She smiled sheepishly, "I suppose… America wouldn't be too bad to live in…"

"We'll still be friends!" Ryuuta shouted, standing now that both of the Bentou were finished, "And we'll always keep in touch! Anna-san, you can do it! You can!"

Anna smiled, nodding lightly, "R… right… Ryuuta-kun…" She smiled, "No matter what, we'll always be friends!" Why was it that whenever Ryuuta shouted at her, she'd suddenly feel all better? It was just so strange…

---

At the end of the week, Anna met with her uncle, who had returned from his work for the last time. She smiled at him, and wrapped her arms around him after dinner, "Father?" She said, "Let's go home to America. You've taken such good care of me, I want to repay you. Let's go."

Richard smiled at Anna, and hugged his niece, "Right, Anna. That sounds… thank you…" Anna squeezed her uncle harder, refusing to let him see her eyes fill with tears. This was it… she would never see Ryuuta again, and she would never go back to Japan. How could she? Why would anyone accept her here after going to America? She felt sick; she wished Ryuuta were there… he would have cheered her on… it would have made her feel better…

However, she knew she wasn't always going to be able to rely on Ryuuta. She needed to be able to take care of herself too. She knew she could handle this new decision. America wasn't THAT bad, was it?

---

Perhaps it was. Anna knew how to speak English well enough (although her light accent was still prominent in her voice), but the culture shock was almost too much to take. People were speaking so fast in English, dressing so differently, and acting so rude. She was amazed at how nasty the people were, how outspoken and tactless the women were, and how well the men acted like bastards.

Being a freshman in high school wasn't so bad though. She did her best and mostly kept to herself. Suddenly, as she walked down the hallway, she stopped and stared at a poster, advertising the place and date of cheerleading tryouts. A now rare smile fluttered across her features. She had recently received an e-mail from Ryuuta: he had recently become the leader of an Ouendan squad, just like his brother, and at such a young age! He was so proud… and now it was her turn to follow her dream. She wrote the time and date on the back of her hand with a pen and rushed off to her next class.

What surprised Anna most of all, however, was the fact that the cheerleading tryouts… was filled with nearly a dozen women. Not one was male. She had heard that male cheerleaders in America were really rare, but this surprised even her! She looked around, "A dozen people…" she murmured, "This is going to fun."

"I know, I know I'm going to get in. I'm so psyched!" the young woman next to Anna said, "Hey, you're the girl from far away, huh? You just moved here. I'm Heather, nice to meet you."

"And to you too, Heather, I'm Anna." She shook the girl's hand, and the girl blinked at Anna's strange actions, "I have a question, could you answer it?"

"Shoot, Anna."

"Well…" Anna looked around, "I can't find any men… why aren't there any male cheerleaders here…?"

Heather snorted, and Anna drew back when the other woman laughed quite loudly, "If you're looking for boyfriends in the cheerleader department, I'm afraid you'll only find them in the wrong kind of department."

Anna blinked, and Heather rolled her eyes, "Anna, they're all gay! Where have you been living, under a rock?"

Anna frowned lightly. That wasn't true, was it? Things in Japan were so much different than in America. She decided not to get in an argument with the other woman and she bobbed her head once to show she understood. "I see…" she muttered, trying to think of a homosexual Ryuuta. It just didn't fit…

"You know some of the greatest guys?" Heather asked, "You should avoid most of the jocks, but some of them are the sweetest ever. Another thing you could do is date a nerd and use him to do your homework! That's the best way to get your work done…"

Anna had blanked Heather's explanations out as she thought about her friend. For the first time since she arrived, she really felt the weight of her decision to come to America. It just never seemed to be such a horrible idea until now. Everything was just too different!

Heather suddenly stopped speaking, and Anna looked up as a woman stepped up and addressed the young women. Anna tried to keep her attention on the woman instead of Ryuuta. She just hoped she could do well enough that she would be at least part of the squad…

---

"Uncle! Uncle!" Anna said as she rushed into her uncle's home. She twirled around happily and practically floated to Richard's side. She hugged him tightly, and smiled brightly, "I was chosen! I'm going to be a cheerleader!"

"Congratulations, Anna," Richard said, placing a kiss on his niece's forehead.

"I have to tell Ryuuta. I'll be right back!" And with that, she sailed out of the room, cheering and shouting ecstatically. The entire house seemed to come alive with her bright and enthusiastic energy. The retired businessman rubbed his chin in thought, a smile spreading across his face as he returned to tending to his botanical garden.

Anna practically glided up to her room, cheering, singing, dancing, all the way up to her room. She settled down and began to write an e-mail to her best friend. Not being one to beat around the bush, she wrote exactly what she was so excited about. It was obvious, after all:

"Ryuuta-kun! I've been chosen as the lead cheerleader!"

It was the beginning of a beautiful time in America.

---

And so it remained, all the way to Anna's Junior year in high school. Anna became a star student, loved by teachers of all ages, and she was nominated by many for various presidencies. Most of which she would have won if she didn't already have enough stuff stacked on top of her. However, despite her various attributes, cheerleading was her one true love. Nothing in her schedule could get in the way of her cheerleading, and everyone could see why. She was a natural, and it would be a waste if she didn't cheer as much as she could.

Of course, being such a star student, it wouldn't be right if she wasn't slandered everywhere she went. People wondered if her uncle was bribing the teachers into treating her specially, and others claimed she granted "special" favors to people for their votes. She was always an odd one, even for a star. Her many and varied boyfriends all said the same thing: Anna wasn't really girlfriend material. She hardly touched them and it seemed she only kept them around because it was "right" for such a prominent student to have one. Many wondered exactly what kind of student she was, as she certainly wasn't a normal "popular but dumb blonde". They soon found out just what kind of woman she was when an unexpected transfer student was brought into the high school.

His name was Kawamura Arata, a young student that had moved to America from Japan. His English wasn't very good, but he was a bright pupil, and was sure that he would do well as a high school freshman. He soon found that it wasn't going to be. His "peers" mercilessly shoved him in the halls and made fun of his accent behind his back.

One day, Arata walked with a bundle of books and papers stacked high in his arms. It made him a perfect target, and pretty soon someone had slammed into his shoulder. The books and papers went flying.

"Iaaaaaaa!" Arata shouted, struggling to pick everything up as the man who bumped him shouted, "Watch where you're going, bastard!"

Arata tried to catch the falling papers and pick up his books, but people walked by in a furious attempt to get to their class in time. He would never get everything picked up in time! However, suddenly a young woman knelt next to him, "Need help?" She asked, picking up the leaflets.

The new student stared at the cheerleader. It was Anna! He smiled brightly as she hummed lightly, picking up all the papers and books. The two worked together at a furious pace, and Arata hardly noticed that the two were already done! With Anna's light cheering, the two got the job done quickly, and it was as if nothing ever happened.

"Ariga-…! Sank yuu!" Arata said, remembering to keep speaking in English. He smiled happily, and Anna smiled in reply.

"You're welcome," Anna said in Japanese, bowing lightly. Arata's eyes lit up when he heard her continue in his native tongue, "Now, hurry!" and with that, she pressed lightly on the new kid's back and sent him on his way.

"Thank you so much, Anna-senpai!" Arata shouted again as he rushed off to his class. Anna smiled and went to her own class, smiling all the way.

---

Anna found herself walking home, like normal, but this time she had a visitor, "Anna-senpai! Anna-senpai!"

"Aaa, Arata-kun… that's your name, right…?" Anna asked as Arata fell in step with her.

"Yes, it is!" The young man said, ecstatic that he found someone who spoke his language, "It's nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Wonderful weather we're having, huh Anna-senpai?"

"It sure is…"

And suddenly, Anna was home again. She was back in Yuuhi town, speaking with her good friends about the weather and sports and her favorite foods and movies and what she did over the summer and everything! There really was no feeling like the feeling that you were lost and suddenly found your way back home. Arata gave her that feeling, and she thanked him internally for it. She was sad when she got to her home, and had to say goodbye.

"Aaa, Is this your house Anna-senpai?" Arata wondered when he realized Anna was walking up the stairs towards it rather than the sidewalk.

"It is. See you tomorrow."

"Goodbye for now until we meet again!" Arata called, waving at the junior and practically skipping off. Anna felt like she would burst from excitement when she entered her home. Everything seemed so perfect, so RIGHT now that she had a friend to speak to. She wanted to tell Ryuuta immediately.

It was the last piece of mail she ever sent him…

---

The next morning, Heather glared at Anna. Anna blinked lightly, "I can't believe it…" The cheerleader hissed.

"What can't you believe?" Anna asked, completely oblivious to whatever she did wrong.

"I saw you talking that stuff to the new kid. I should have known." The cheerleaders pointed at their leader, "You're a Japanophile!"

"A what?"

One of the cheerleaders cackled horribly, "So what's your favorite show? The one where everyone powers up for fifty episodes?"

"I bet you like saying 'KAWAII DESOO NO NEE CHAN!!'" another of her former friends hissed.

"I think all she does is watch that garbage where the two token girly-guys make out," Heather said with a laugh.

"Hey, yaoi's kinda nice…"

"Shut up before you join her, Melissa," The cheerleaders glared at the offender. Melissa shut up.

"Now listen here," Anna said quite angrily, "I was raised in Japan. There's no reason…"

"Oh, so now you want to LIVE there?" Heather said as the others surrounded Anna and jeered, "You're not class president material; you deserve to sit in the 'Anime Club' and watch your favorite One Piece episodes, Weeaboo!"

Anna listened to the girls as they chanted and jeered "Weeaboo! Japanophile!" And the young cheerleader trembled lightly. She didn't even like One Piece! "All of you!" She said, "I'm warning you!"

"What are you going to do, geek?" Heather crowed, stepping forward and trying to stand up at Anna's height (and failing), "You're going to hit me? You WOULD too. All your anime is so violent; I bet it really breeds all the school shooters!" Anna trembled in anger and rage, "Go ahead, bitch, take your best shot!"

Anna did. Heather fell backwards with a scream. The cheerleaders gasped and they gathered around Heather, whose nose was spilling blood, "You…! YOU BITCH!" she screeched.

"I… I didn't mean to…!" Anna said quickly once she realized exactly what she had done. She took a step back and tried to calm her rapidly beating heart, "I just…! I…!" Heather immediately burst into tears, picked herself up and rushed off, screaming for help. On the inside, however, Heather was smirking nastily. The cheerleaders glared angrily at Anna and rushed to tend to their friend. The young woman stood in shock, wondering why she did that. She couldn't even think, her mind had gone white with shock.

What would Ryuuta say…?

---

Anna Lindhurst shivered lightly as the adults stared down at her. She was sitting in her cheerleading coach's office, "You even had the gall to do it during practice, too, Anna. We had to cancel the whole thing! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Anna shivered lightly, "I… I didn't mean to… I'm sorry…"

Anna's coach sighed, "That's it… that's all you have to say…?"

"Oh, Coach!" Heather suddenly said with a devilish smile, "it's all okay! I'm sure Anna didn't mean to do it!"

"Heather?"

"Yeah, in fact, I'm sure if Anna just apologizes for ALL of her wrongdoings…" Heather turned to Anna with a smile that made the young woman's stomach flip, "then we can keep going as if nothing ever happened…"

Anna stared at Heather, "What…?"

"That sounds fine, I suppose. Anna?"

Anna was stuck. Heather wouldn't let Anna live a normal life until she became "a normal cheerleader". It shouldn't be such a terrible thought for a cheerleader to know Japanese, but according to Heather, it was a heathenistic sin that needed to be stamped out immediately. Anna sighed; she loved Japan, but she loved cheerleading even more. If she had to give up liking Japan to keep the women from attacking her… she would reluctantly do so.

"Hey Heather? I'm really sorry… for everything."

Heather clasped her hands together, eyes shining behind her soft exterior, "Oh Anna, that's all I ever wanted!"

"I'm glad this could be resolved so peacefully!" The coach said with a smile, "Now, I want you two to head on home, and keep your nose up like that, alright Heather?"

"Yes, Coach…" Heather said, whose face had been facing the ceiling the whole time to keep her nose from bleeding all over the place. Anna had to admit, she was kind of glad to see her that way…

However, that wasn't enough to make her happy. She had to pretend she didn't hear Arata as she walked home, and the moment she arrived home, she couldn't bear to look at the mail that Ryuuta had undoubtedly sent her. She simply slipped into her room, flopped on her bed, and cried so loud that Richard had to rush up to see what was wrong.

"Anna, Anna, what's the matter?" Her uncle asked with deep concern, "Darling, you can tell me." Anna rubbed her puffy eyes and looked up at her uncle. She wrapped her arms around Richard and quietly cried, "Anna, Anna, please don't cry. I love you so much…"

"I'll never be able to speak to him again…"

"Hmm?"

"How can I talk to Ryuuta-kun now, after everything I did…?" She asked no one but herself.

"Anna… Will you tell me what happened?" Anna's uncle asked. She clutched Richard harder, but didn't say anything. Richard sighed lightly; he supposed this is what teenagers always did, "Well, if you must, Anna, I'll be here to cry on whenever you need it." The student shifted slightly, and after a moment, she murmured a "Thank you" so quiet that Richard hardly heard it.

The young woman's uncle smiled at Anna as he stroked her beautifully golden hair, "I'll go make some dinner. What would you like?"

"…Steak… please…?"

"We have some, I'll go make that. You start your homework and forget everything that happened at school, alright?" Anna released her uncle and nodded. Her tears had stopped falling, but she knew inside that she couldn't fulfill her uncle's task. Richard walked past Anna's computer, and blinked at the blank screen staring back at him. She hadn't even turned it on. With a "hmm…" he left the room, and went to prepare dinner for his niece.

---

And... that's it... for now.

I'll upload the second part later. Hope you don't mind and stuff.

I'm debating whether to write something about Hajime or Shinta next... Hmmmm...

Review please. I keep wanting to say it but I think it really makes people not want to review. I wonder...


	2. Chapter 2

Yeah, I actually finished the entire thing, and I was just uploading it in sections. Hope you enjoy Part 2 and then I can upload others. Jeez for some reason I write Ouendan stuff so fast... I want to write EBA stuff too though. Blehhh...

Anyway, READ ON!

---

A year passed, and Anna did her best to forget that she ever knew Japanese. Instead, she quietly stepped down from her presidencies and offices, and poured her heart into cheerleading. Something changed in Anna during those days. She no longer smiled, and she hardly spoke to anyone. She became quite cold to everyone in the school, and it was a surprise to everyone who knew her how quickly she could change. The only time she ever smiled was when she was cheering.

And what a cheerer she was. She cheered for her high school's football team, and when she led the charge, the athletes she cheered for not once ruined their game plans, and they went on to win every game they went into. All the way to the Rose Bowl, they climbed. Anna cheered the athletes on, and everyone in the audience cheered as her team won at the end of the last quarter, beating their opponents out by only one point.

Richard was especially proud of his niece, and fixed her favorite meal when she returned home, "You cheered so hot bloodedly, Anna. Congratulations on your victory."

"It wasn't my victory," Anna said, picking at her food with a halfhearted sigh, "I didn't do anything but yell at them."

Richard simply smiled, "So you cheered them on to win the Rose Bowl?"

"Why does it matter? They're the ones who got the trophy," Anna replied, taking a tiny bite and frowning.

"Are you going to go into the cheering tournament? It's coming up, you know" Anna looked up at her uncle, "I think you have what it takes to get to the top." Anna didn't reply, she simply slumped in her chair, ruining her wonderfully straight spine. Richard sighed at his attempts to cheer his niece up. He just didn't have what it took, apparently, "I'm going to go work on something. Anna, can you do the dishes?"

Anna gave a silent "yah…" as Richard stood and left the dining room. Anna took a moment to stew, and thought hard about what her uncle said. He believed she could go to the top…? She hadn't thought of going into any cheering competitions… but thinking about it… perhaps she could get high…

Richard had given Anna yet another spark on inspiration, and by the time she had finished washing the dishes and started the dishwasher, she decided. She was going to enter a cheering competition, and she was going to win.

---

Her uncle was right. Nothing could stop the young cheerleader as she fought her way to the top. It was obvious she beat out her classmates as the best in the district, and soon went onto the county competition.

"And the county champion is… Anna Lindhurst!" Anna smiled as she walked forward and was awarded her medal. It was like a great weight off of her shoulders. She went on to the state finals, and eventually beat it out as well.

"The state champion is… Anna Lindhurst! Let's give her a big hand!" Anna had to go all the way across the country to star in the nationals. She felt very scared; there was no one in the place she knew, and she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She wondered if she could even place herself amongst the cheerleaders from all the various states across the country. She began to lose faith, until something caught her eye. Blazing red hair, tied up in a top knot. Something made her heart soar. Could it be? She pushed through the crowd, but soon found that the familiar hair was gone. Was it just her imagination, or did such a small Japanese person get swallowed in the crowds of tall Americans? Anna finally berated herself internally. Why would Ryuuta be here, anyway? He was probably busy, and had no reason to be in America…

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but jump whenever she heard someone shout, and she'd turn to see if perhaps it was her childhood friend, yelling at someone or cheering another person on. She hugged herself and shook the ghosts from her mind. Why was she thinking of him now? Of all the times! However, the more she thought of him somewhere in the audience, the more her fears dissipated. Even now, thousands of miles away, he was cheering her on to victory. She would always be grateful to her friend for his assistance…

Anna performed harder than she had in her whole life, working hard to beat out as many as she could. She knew she could never beat some of the best, but she would be damned if she didn't try!

She stuck her landing, and raised her arms as the audience clapped. Only one person stood, however. The one who applauded for her smiled down from his seat. Anna smiled brightly and completely forgot about her score being read off. She simply stared at her friend. Ippongi Ryuuta had come to watch her perform, and that was all she needed to do her very best at cheering.

For Anna, everything was a blur for the next three hours. She watched the other competitors through glazed eyes, only looking at Ryuuta out of the corner of her eyes. He was watching the cheerers, as if he was inspecting them, but he didn't seem to be very interested in the other women. He was watching Anna out of the corner of his eyes. She looked at him questioningly. Who was the one next to him, the beast of a man, watching the competition with an eagle eye? He was clearly Japanese as well, but she had never seen him before…

The winners were being announced, and Anna snapped out of her thoughts when she suddenly heard her name…

---

Anna had stood in second when she first performed, but one person beat her out towards the end. Amazing, amongst all of the cheerers, both professional and not, Anna came out third in all of America. She felt numb from excitement and pride as she looked at everyone who cheered for the winners. She didn't seem to mind it at all; all she wanted was to see if she could find Ryuuta and his friend. She just hoped she could catch them before they left.

Ryuuta was always a sharp one, and a step ahead of Anna. He found her first, standing before her with a smile on his face. Anna hadn't noticed how much time had changed the two of them. For one, she had to look down at him. When the two had left each other, he was an inch taller than her (although she continued to say that it was only because his hair was adding to his height). When he waved at her, she rushed to his side, "Ryuuta!" She called out, reaching out and wrapping her arms around her friend in a traditional greeting of young American teenagers. Ryuuta froze. It was the first time he had been hugged so openly in public!

"Ahh… Sorry…" Anna said, suddenly realizing he wasn't used to an American atmosphere.

"Eeeee… Su… sa… sa… raito…" Ryuuta muttered, obviously not used to English. Anna remembered that it was her friend's worst subject. The young cheerleader noticed his face was tinged with red. She assumed he was very embarrassed, and Anna felt extremely sorry.

"Aaa! Soo soo!" Ryuuta suddenly gestured to the man next to him. Anna looked up and realized how large he was. She wondered how a Japanese man could have gotten to become so huge. Was he half? No, everything about him was clearly Japanese… but still… "Aaa… Z…zisu… izu… D…Doumeki Kai-san…" Ryuuta blabbed, attempting in vain to speak as if he actually knew the language. Anna wished she could have stayed in Japan and helped him with his classes.

"Nice to meet you… Anna Lindhurst…?" Kai said, bowing lightly and extending his hand. Anna nodded and took it. His hand surrounded and practically crushed hers.

"Yes… I am Lindhurst. It's nice to meet you." She said, bowing in return. Kai's eyes sparkled and a smile played on his face.

"It's nice to meet you." Kai said lowly, "How do you do?" And at that moment, that entire year of her "forgetting" Japanese seemed to fly out the window. She slipped back into her humble stance, and suddenly, the three were speaking in Japanese, immediately falling into step.

"Ryuuta-kun. What brings you to America?" Anna asked, "It's… a surprise, to say the least."

"Yes, I wanted to come and speak to you one more time," Ryuuta replied, "After I received your most recent letter, I had to come."

"Letter…?" Anna sputtered, "Which one…?"

"It was really weird… just one day… you stopped writing… it was then that I received a letter by mail," Ryuuta said, blushing lightly, "Your uncle had written it. He said that you were very busy and that you couldn't do the writing anymore, but that he would write what you instructed him." He frowned, "I sent many letters to you, hoping to cheer you up… but nothing was sent by you. I felt so worthless. What good's an Ouendan who couldn't cheer?"

"Ryuuta-kun…"

"I thought, 'Anna's a cheerleader too. Perhaps she knows how I feel!' and I cheered for you everyday. I don't know if it reached you, I'm still a rookie." Anna looked confused, "I told you in one of my letters, remember? The last email I sent you? I'm one of the Ouendan now!"

"The…?" Kai suddenly coughed, and Anna looked up, "Oh… Doumeki-san… please… is there something you need to tell me?

"Lindhurst-san…" Kai bent over to look her in the eye, "Do you remember the last letter your uncle sent to Ryuuta-san?"

Anna didn't have the heart to say that she had no hand in writing it. She didn't want to make Ryuuta feel any worse, "I'm sorry…" She said, "I've been… so busy with the competition… it's a little fuzzy…"

Ryuuta dug into the pocket of his breast pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. It was slightly crumpled, and he winced, "Ahh… forgive me… I ruined it…" Anna smiled as he handed it to Anna. She had noticed, however, that he kept it close to his heart, "Do you remember writing this?"

Anna scanned the paper, and the handwritten Japanese leapt out at her. She blinked at what was written in it, "Yes…" she murmured, "I did cheer my team on to winning in the Rose Bowl."

"I was so happy to hear it!" Ryuuta said as Anna passed the paper back to her friend, "Your team didn't lose once! That's some amazing cheering!"

"I didn't do anything, they were just good players." Anna replied matter-of-factly. She suddenly noticed Kai's normally frozen features twitch. Was he smiling? "Ryuuta-kun, what are you getting at?"

"The Ouendan… they're short some Cheer Girls…" Ryuuta said, smiling sheepishly, "I wanted to know… if you'd come back to Japan with us… and become an Ouendan with us…"

Anna stared at Ryuuta; her body had frozen. The Ouendan looked at Anna, wondered what she was going to say, and she trembled lightly, "You… mean… you're inviting me back…? Wh… to become an… ouendan?" She chuckled lightly, "I don't… know how… to be one… Are you sure you'd want me to come with you…?"

"I wouldn't have come all the way here if I didn't expressly want YOU, Anna-san," Ryuuta said, "And despite what Kai-san says, he's desperate for some feminine cheerers." Kai's smile disappeared as Ryuuta winked at Anna. Seriously tactless, Ryuuta was…

"Either way…" Kai said, "We will be return to Japan soon enough. We would like your answer soon."

"I'm so sorry," Anna said almost immediately, "but I can't go." Ryuuta's heart stopped, "I can't go… I need to at least speak to my uncle."

And his heart immediately restarted, "Oh…!" He said, "That's why you can't go now!"

Anna smiled, "Yeah, did you think it was something else?"

Ryuuta looked away, "No, I wasn't worried… not at all."

Kai scratched his beard in thought, "That is acceptable, of course. I suppose we can…"

"Kai-san!" The mature Ouendan turned to Ryuuta, and Anna winced at his interruption of his superior, "Can I return with Anna? We'll come back to Japan together."

"Ryuuta-kun?"

Kai glared at Ryuuta, and it finally occurred to the hot blooded Ouendan that perhaps his interruption wasn't the smartest thing. However, he nodded, "Right. If you're so sure Lindhurst-san will return with you, then you may accompany her."

"Forgive me, Ryuuta-kun," Anna said, turning to her friend, "but I really don't have any money to help you get a plane ticket. Are you sure you have the money for a flight to my home and then to Japan?"

Ryuuta smiled brightly, reminding Anna of the six year old who she first befriended all those years ago, "Oh, don't you worry about that, Anna-san. We Ouendan are always where we're needed the most." Anna blinked at him, wondering what he meant, "Don't worry Anna-san. I'll be back."

Anna suddenly saw him step backwards into the ever surging crowds. Anna cried out when she saw him become swallowed by the crowd, "R…Ryuu… Ryuuta-kun! Ryuuta-kun! Where are you going?" She pressed through the people, but soon found that he had disappeared, "Ryuuta-kun!"

She looked around at the people. How had he managed to disappear so fast? "Ryuuta…!!" She called, switching to English without thinking. Ryuuta was gone, and now that she thought about it, Kai had disappeared as well. Despite his huge stature, there was not a trace of either of the "ouendan" anywhere. She couldn't believe it. Had she gone insane? Where were they? "Ryuuta! …M…Mister Doumeki! Where are you?"

She was broken from her search when someone bumped into her. "Excuse me," an older, professional cheerleader said with a smile, continuing on. Anna mumbled something in response, but was too engrossed in her search to really care about being jostled so much.

She didn't see Ryuuta at all for the rest of the day, and the next day she waited at the airport, hoping to see him before she left for home. He didn't appear, and Anna felt worried for his sake that he wouldn't arrive. Then why did she feel him watching over her as she flew home…?

Anna shuffled home unhappily, wondering if Ryuuta was just pulling her leg to make her feel happier. What did he mean "They always appear where they're needed?" Now she just felt abandoned.

"Wai ze rongu feishi?" Anna looked up, blinking at the atrocious Engrish said by a very atrocious English speaker. Ippongi Ryuuta smirked at her in front of her house. How had he gotten there so quickly? He rubbed under his nose smugly, "Biichu hea!"

Anna bit her lip, trying not to cry. Dropping her luggage, she rushed forward and leapt into his arms, "Waaa, Ryuuta-kun! Don't you ever speak English again!"

Ryuuta barely caught her and frowned as she sobbed on him. His English wasn't THAT bad… was it…? "Oi… oi… why are you crying, Anna…?"

"Ryuuta-kun left me all alone! I hate you!"

"Anna-san…"

Anna didn't say anything else, but finally released her friend and sniffled lightly, "Ryuuta-kun, if you try to do that disappearing act again…"

"Did I scare you…?"

Anna blinked, and looked away, "No… I wasn't worried… not at all…" Ryuuta snorted, laughing lightly, and she smiled, "For coming… Thank you, Ryuuta-kun."

"Don't mention it," Ryuuta said, "Now, let's go talk to Richard-ossan, Ohkai?"

"Ryuuta-kun…"

Ryuuta sighed, "Yes, Ma'am…"

---

Richard looked up from his tea when Anna suddenly came into the room, exclaiming "Tadaima!" He hadn't heard her speak Japanese in so long. A smile was brought to his face when he saw how happy his dear niece looked. He assumed it was because of the man entering behind her, apologizing for entering uninvited.

"Uncle, Ryuuta-kun's visiting for a moment," Anna said, moving to take a seat at the dining table Richard was at. Richard gave Ryuuta a nod, and the Ouendan followed suit, looking relieved to give his legs a rest. However he got to her house, Anna noted, it must have taken a toll on his body.

"Ahh, this is a surprise," Richard said, speaking the tongue he had used for most of his business life, "How have you been, Ryuuta-kun?"

"Doing well, thanks to your asking," Ryuuta replied with as much manners as he could. The rest flew out the window, "It's been so long since I've seen you, Richard-ossan! You're bald now!"

"Indeed…" Richard murmured lightly, sipping at his tea, "And you haven't grown a bit since I last saw you, Ryuuta-kun."

"It's not my fault you Americans are giants." Anna fought to keep from laughing out loud, "Anyway, I can't stay for long, I'm going to head back to Japan. Training and all that."

"A professional ouendan…" Anna said, almost breathlessly, "Congratulations, Ryuuta-kun."

"Not just any ouendan, either! Richard-ossan, I'm a real Ouendan!"

"Is that so…?" Richard asked cryptically. Anna was lost, "Tell me, how is Doumeki-san?"

"He speaks highly of you, Richard-ossan."

"That sounds nice of him…"

Anna looked between the two, and frowned lightly, "This isn't fair, you two are leaving me out of the loop," she said suddenly, asking a bit forcefully, "Uncle, what are you talking about? You met Doumeki-san once?"

"Ahh, yes, it was many years before you were born, Anna." Richard sipped his tea, and a faraway look appeared on his face, as if he were straining to remember the day, "There was a big fight amongst my company and the company to whom we imported our goods to. As it stood, I would never get them to reconcile over a simple gesture that wronged our company's CEO. I needed help…

"And so, I called Doumeki-san and his squad of Ouendan. With their help, I was able to get the Americans and Japanese to put aside the silly wrongs, and the transaction went off without a hitch. If it weren't for the Ouendan, I may actually have lost my job," Another sip, "I am eternally grateful to them…"

Anna blinked, "Wait… so you called… Doumeki-san… and he… what…?"

"Anna-san, it's like you don't even know what Ouendan do. Is that true?" Ryuuta asked. He glanced over at Richard, as if accusing him of not teaching his niece the knowledge necessary for everyday life, "The Ouendan are people that are special cheerers. Those with the right amount of energy can inspire anyone to do anything!"

"Like…?"

"Like…" Ryuuta thought of a perfect example, and snapped his fingers with a smile, "Like when you were going to America. Don't tell me you felt sad about going, right? But you did, because when I cheered for you, you felt like you could do anything. Right, right?"

"But that was…"

"And at the Rose Bowl, and all those other times… you cheered those people on… they won every single game they entered, right?"

"But I don't…"

"Ryuuta-kun is right, Anna…" Richard smiled, "You were special, my niece, from the day you were born. Your cheering is unlike any others'. Yours has the potential to become an Ouendan."

"So that's it…" Anna said, suddenly feeling a little put upon, "your plan is to whisk me away to Japan on a white horse to become an Ouendan as if I have no say in the matter. But why me? There have to be other people in the world than can be Ouendan, right?"

"Very few people in the world have that sort of inspirational power. I wouldn't doubt there are Americans, hiding from the world, that have that same sort of ability…" Richard smiled, "But would you rather cheer for Americans, or for Japanese?"

Anna opened her mouth to speak, but closed it in thought, "Americans with the ability to cheer… even English… Canadian… Indian Russian… and there aren't that many?"

"I'll understand if you don't want to, Anna-san…" Ryuuta said, suddenly very quiet, "I mean, Japan isn't your home country. It'd be much better if you cheered over here in America, huh?"

Anna looked at Ryuuta. He looked rather depressed. He worked so hard to come here by whatever means necessary, and he would have to return to Japan empty handed. They did need another Cheer Girl, apparently… "So… if I went with you… I'd be the Cheer Girl you need?" She asked. Ryuuta looked up at her and she looked away in a huff, "I mean, I'm just asking. I haven't decided anything, you see… just in case you thought…"

"Yes, we're missing one Cheer Girl. There's these two… they're twins… and we need one more for a full squad. Oh Anna-san, if you came, I'd be so happy…!"

Anna looked away with a chuckle. She had forgotten how clingy he was about her back when they were kids. She suddenly thought about it, and realized that Ryuuta must have felt just as bad as she did about leaving Japan… and yet… he let her go… "Ryuuta-kun?" She looked at her friend, and at that moment, Richard decided it was best to go get another cup of tea, and left the room, "Ryuuta-kun… why did you let me leave…?"

Ryuuta looked confused, "You let me go to America, even though… I bet it must have been hard on you. Why did you let me leave Japan…?"

The Ouendan's breath hitched in his throat, and he grasped for an appropriate thing to say in reply, "Well, you know… you see…"

"Ryuuta-kun… did you want me to leave…?"

"No…! I just thought… you wanted to go home. I mean, America is your home, right? I assumed the only reason you wanted to stay was because of me. I thought, 'well, if Anna-san doesn't want to leave because of me… I'd let her feel better about going'. That way you wouldn't feel like you had to stay because of me."

"Ryuuta-kun…"

"I'm sorry, Anna-san… I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just wanted to help. That's what Ouendan do, you see…"

Ryuuta heard Anna sniffle, and he wondered if he said something wrong, "You moron…" she suddenly said, hiccupping, "I didn't want to leave Japan because I loved it there… America's done nothing to me but realize that things are always going to get worse. The only reason I wanted to stay by Uncle's side was because I loved him more than anything…"

"Then… you won't come back to Japan with me?" Ryuuta asked. He seemed at peace about the fact now, "Because of Richard-ossan?"

"I'm sorry, Ryuuta-kun…" Anna murmured, "but I just can't leave him… He's done so much for me…"

The Ouendan took a moment to register what Anna said, and slowly slid from his chair, standing up, "…Understood…" He said softly, "Remember to send me another letter when you get the chance, alright?"

"P… Promise…" Anna blubbered, shaking from her controlled sobs. Ryuuta fluffed his hair back, waited a moment to make sure she didn't suddenly change her mind and call out "WAIT!" dramatically, and walked little by little out the door.

It was at that moment that Richard took a step into the room, "Ahh, Anna. Why are you crying?" He asked, "You know I hate to see you cry…"

"U…Uncle… I'm sorry, I couldn't go…"

Richard sat down and sipped his tea, offering her two teacups (one was supposed to be for Ryuuta). Anna took one but didn't drink any, "Because of me."

"You heard?"

"You'd never have guessed, but I was a master eavesdropper when I was your age." Silence followed after the two and settled around the room. It was shattered by another rather loud sip from Anna's uncle, "so…"

"Just come out and say it, Uncle… it can't make me feel worse than I already do…"

"If you don't go, Anna…" Richard murmured, sipping his tea one more time, "then I will never forgive you." The young woman looked up at her uncle, and he smiled, "How can I forgive a selfish young woman who won't even help her best friend?"

"But what about…?"

"100,000 square feet. That's how much this house is. I'm perfectly able to take care of myself. I have two sons, and five grandchildren. I don't need you anymore Anna." Richard suddenly sounded very cold, "Ryuuta-kun, however, does. Will you abandon him now when he's asked for it? Tsk tsk…" A smile appeared on his face, "A cheerleader, an Ouendan, must always be on the lookout to help those in need…"

There was silence for a little, until Anna shifted in her seat, "Uncle… you make no sense sometimes…"

"Will you go?"

"Of course…" Anna sobbed happily, looking up at her uncle and smiling wide. She wiped her puffy red eyes of tears and nodded vigorously, "Of course I will! I have a job to fulfill!"

"You'd best be quick. Ouendan have the nasty habit of disappearing when you want to speak to them…" Richard said with a smile. Remembering the time Ryuuta disappeared in the crowd, Anna believed her uncle. Leaping up, she rushed from her house, and away from the life she once knew.

"Ryuuta-kun! WAIT!" Anna shouted dramatically when she slammed the door open and scanned the streets. Where was he? Had he gone already…?

"You don't have to yell, Anna-san…" Ryuuta said. Anna turned to the direct left, and there was her friend. He uncrossed his arms and smiled at his friend, "I wanted to make sure it wasn't one of those bittersweet stories where I left just seconds before you changed your mind."

"You need to stop watching sappy shows, Ryuuta-kun…" Anna said, and before he could reply with a snazzy comeback, she reached out to grapple her friend in a hug. This time, Ryuuta was ready for it and hugged her back.

Ryuuta smiled at the special treatment he was given, "You know, you can keep hugging me any time you want, Anna-san."

"Don't get used to this, Ryuuta-kun" she said with a smile on her face, "now hug tighter…"

---

Japan was just as beautiful as Anna remembered it. It was Hanami season, Ryuuta reminded Anna, and he promised that he'd find a spot that they could go watch the sakura fall, "Will we yell at it?" Anna asked with a smile.

"Don't you know it… But first… you have to meet Yoshi-sama."

"Y… Yoshi-sama…?" Anna asked.

"Just wait. He's the greatest Ouendan I've ever seen…" Ryuuta said through closed eyes as he went to take a nap. Anna sighed and looked out the plane window. For such a mysteriously traveling troupe, the Ouendan seemed to move from place to place rather… mundanely. However, she thought about the fact that maybe they were traveling mundanely because she hadn't become a real Cheer Girl. Perhaps that was the reason…

Landing at the airport, Ryuuta happily leapt up and led Anna towards the portal. Anna was met with a welcoming party that made her wonder if she was caught in Ryuuta's family reunion, "Welcome back, Ryuuta-san!" The group crowed.

"I'm back, everyone," Ryuuta said through a smile, bowing to the eldest one, "Ahhh, Yoshi-sama, this is Anna-san."

"My name is Anna Lindhurst," Anna said, bowing.

"Hello, child. My name is Yamaguchi Yoshi," The extremely elderly man, dressed from top to bottom in a Gakuran (which surprised Anna to no end), craned his neck so he could see Anna's rack a little better. She turned to Ryuuta.

"He's the greatest… Ryuuta-kun…?" She asked through a half banked stare. Ryuuta shrugged with an embarrassed chuckle.

"So this is Anna Lindhurst-san!" one of the few females said. Anna turned and blinked; the two women looked exactly the same, "I'm Amemiya Sayaka, and this is my twin sister, the leader of the Cheer Girl Squad, Takara."

"It's nice to meet you, Lindhurst-san." Takara said. Anna was pretty sure she would get mixed up over who was who many times, "It will be an honor to work with you as Cheer Girls."

"Thank you," Anna replied, bowing lightly in response, "It's nice to meet you."

"Well then, shall we dawdle about or head home?" Yoshi asked, "I want to see how Lindhurst-san looks in one of the Cheer Girl outfits!" Anna shot a glare at Ryuuta, and he smiled in return. How was he supposed to remember Yoshi was a little perverted? It wasn't like HE was a woman…!

"So, you're 18, huh, Anna?" Sayaka asked with a smile, "Surprise, Takara and I are only 16! We're the best Cheer Girls around!"

"Please, Ame… Sayaka-san…" Anna said, remembering to call her by her first name (as her family name was the same as Takara's), "Must you be so…"

"Takara-nee-chan, who's the leader of the Cheer Girls?" Sayaka asked, attempting to prove a point.

"Please, Sayaka, I'm busy," Takara said, fluffing out her pompoms.

"But you get the picture," Sayaka said through a smile. Anna smirked back. It was the beginning of a beautiful rivalry.

---

Anna Lindhurst was American. Her family was all born in America, and so she was as well. However, she was also Japanese. She lived in Japan and she loved that land more than any other. It was small wonder that she became an Ouendan just like her friend. After many years of working in Japan, she soon found that there was no reason to ever return to America. She loved the people she worked with, the Ouendan, more than any others. Along with her uncle, they were her family.

She promised herself that she would remain with them until the end of her days…

That's exactly what she did…

The End!

---

Or something like that... I'll think about putting something else up later. Hope you enjoyed it.

Remember, review... Woooooo...


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